Friday, April 30, 2010

- One of the most recognizable lighthouses in the country is Cape Hatteras light. Complete in 1870 with over a million bricks and at 198.5 feet high it is one of the tallest lighthouses. The light can be seen 20 miles away. The lighthouse was moved a half a mile inland in 2000 to protect it from the eroding shoreline. Canon 40D, 1/125 sec @ f/14.0, ISO 200.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

- Moving south from Cape Henry Virginia, the next lighthouse is the Currituck Beach light located in Corolla, North Carolina. This picture is taken from the grounds of the old Whalehead Club which is adjacent to the lighthouse. Built in 1875 the Currituck Beach light filled the remaining "dark spot" on the North Carolina coast between the Cape Henry light to the north and Bodie Island to the south. To distinguish it from other regional lighthouses, its exterior was left unpainted. Canon Rebel XTi, 1/500 sec @ f/13.0, ISO 200.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

- Beginning today I will post a series of pictures of lighthouses I have visited. I love climbing lighthouses that are open to the public and that includes this one, the old Cape Henry Lighthouse in Virginia Beach, Virginia. This lighthouse is on the official seal of the City of Virginia Beach and was the first federal public works project authorized by President George Washington and completed in 1792. Canon 40D, 1/250 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 100. Tomorrow - new Cape Henry Light.

Monday, April 26, 2010

- The azaleas are simply amazing this year in southeastern Virginia. It has been a long time since I've seen them so full of blooms. Everywhere you look they seem to be like giant balls of color. These are some of the old large ones along my back fence. They've been in the yard since we bought the house over 29 years ago. Canon 40D, 1/500 sec @ f/8.0, ISO 400, 50mm lens.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

- The Iris gets its name from the Greek word for rainbow signifying the wide variety of colors that can be found in the popular garden flower. Iris is also the Greek goddess for the Messenger of Love, her sacred flower is considered the symbol of communication and messages. Based on their color, the iris conveys varied messages. The blue iris symbolizes faith and hope and these have been a fixture in my garden for over 20 years. Canon 40D, 1/250 sec @f/4.5, ISO 400, 50mm focal length.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

- I was taking pictures of my blooming irises today when I noticed this small little flower growing at the edge of the bed. I have no idea what it is, I guess it's just a wildflower or weed. The open bloom is about a 1/2 inch in diameter. The bright yellow center, white pedals with a light pink edge, made for a delightful surprise. I am always surprised by things I see when taking pictures that I would otherwise miss. Canon 40D, 1/100 sec @ f/5.6, ISO 400, 50mm macro at 1:1.

Friday, April 23, 2010

- The weather was great today so I was thinking that beach season will soon be here. Last August we spent a few days at Cape May New Jersey and this early evening beach scene portrays my favorite time of the day to be on the sand. Maybe I'll get to make a new beach photo this weekend. Canon 40D, 1/400 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 400.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

- Looking up at the glass Dome at Isle of Wight County Museum in Smithfield Virginia. The museum is housed in the old Bank of Smithfield building. Canon Digital Rebel, 1/160 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 200, 40mm focal length.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

- The lighthouse at Old Point Comfort in the Hampton Roads Harbor was built in 1802. It sports an unusual color pattern of white, red and green and is located on the grounds of Fort Monroe. The lighthouse is just outside of the fort's moat and massive stone walls whose construction was overseen by a young army engineer named Lt. Robert E. Lee. The Fort and the grounds around the lighthouse are open for visitors and it is well worth the trouble of going through the security check point to see them. Canon Rebel XTi, 1/200 sec @ f/14.0, ISO 200.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

- This picture was taken in September 2006 at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. The Virginia Beach Fishing Pier with its early morning anglers is silhouetted by the sun just as it rises over a bank of clouds on the horizon. As I look back on this series of sunrise photos, I am amazed at how fast the sun comes up and sky changes. Canon Rebel XTi, 1/250 sec @ f/18.0, ISO 200.

Monday, April 19, 2010

- Looking towards the Hudson River along W. 48th Street in New York City. The Belvedere Hotel is on the right with its great 1920's Art Deco exterior illuminated by the late afternoon sun reflected off of the glass towers along Eighth Avenue. Because of all the glass in New York, it's not unusual to see the late afternoon sun coming from the east rather than the west. Canon 7D, 1/125 sec @ f/18.0, ISO 400.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

- This is a light fixture crafted from old warehouse parts and pieces. It was one of many art displays that are part of the Chelsea Market, home of the Food Network and many family owned and operated food businesses. The giant warehouse was a long time factory bakery of the National Biscuit Company (NABISCO) and was the place where the Oreo cookie was invented. Canon 1/250 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 800.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

- "We Know Cheese" is the tag line for Murray's Cheese on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village, NYC. The family owned business has over 300 cheeses. We had an amazing time in the Village today and left with cheese from Murray's and fresh bread from Amy's Bakery. Canon 7D, 1/30 sec @ f/3.5, ISO 400.

Friday, April 16, 2010

- Blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa ripping up the stage during his encore at New York City's historic Town Hall Theatre last night. Joe motto is "Always on the road" and his tour truck is the latest example of his climb in popularity. Canon G11, 1/80 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 800.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

- Mood Fabrics on 37th Street in NYC's fashion District is a sight to see. As fans of the TV show Project Runway, we just had to stop by and check it out. This is one of many displays of thread. Canon G11, 1/30 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 400 in macro mode.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

- The Monarch is the best known of all North American butterflies. This male is a great example of the species, large with bold orange and black coloring. They are unmistakable when spotted during the spring and late summer migrations. The monarch is the only butterfly that migrates both north and south just as birds do on a regular basis. However, no single individual makes the entire round trip. Canon 7D, 1/640 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 400, 200mm focal length.

Monday, April 12, 2010

- The San Diego harbor and night skyline. I took this picture back in November 2006 from the deck of a harbor dinner cruise boat. It was a great clear night. I was surprised that I managed to make the picture this sharp with a relatively long exposure and the camera braced on the rail of the boat. Canon Rebel XTi, 1/3 sec @ f/3.5, ISO 800.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

- The Jewish Mother Restaurant in Virginia is an institution. Billing it self as "The Home of East Coast Blues" the small restaurant is both a great place to eat and experience live music. This is a shot of the sound board with the brightly painted Pacific Avenue windows in the background. Canon G11, 1/40 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 800. BTW - the carrot cake is to die for.

Friday, April 9, 2010

- In thinking about this photograph and what to write about on the blog, the only thing I could come up with was "Odd". It is an odd picture both in appearance and how it was captured. Photographers will usually always claim that they planned or envision the photo. But this was just a mistake. It's a macro photograph of the pollen on the hood of my black car. The little streaks resulted from slight camera movement during the 1/13 sec exposure and the blue flecks are an unexpected reflection from the metal flake in the car paint. It's odd but I hope you like it.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

- Fire system values. Almost every commercial building has them. They are usually tucked away in corner and most people never notice them. This is just one small valve of several that feed the sprinkler system at work. Canon G11, 1/25 sec @ f/3.5, ISO 200.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

- Pine Pollen is everywhere! After a couple of 80 degree days the pine pollen is so thick it even looks like a light fog in the early mornings. This pollen was layered on our recycle bin lid. The 5X macro shows the individual grains pretty well even though there is only a narrow band in sharp focus. The macro lens at this magnification with a relatively wide aperture has a depth of field of only a couple of millimeters. Canon 7D, 1/250 sec @ f/5.0, ISO 800, Canon 65mm MP-E macro lens.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

- This 1:1 macro photograph of the center of a mum show tiny specs of what I assume is pollen. They look like tiny crystals sparkling under the LED light. Canon 40D, 1/500 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 800, 50mm macro with life size adapter.

Monday, April 5, 2010

- My grandson Robert got his every own "real" camera for Easter. He has been shooting with one of my point and shoot's but was very happy to get his own camera. He's taking a picture of me laying on the grass taking a picture of him. He came back today armed with his camera so I'm thinking there needs to be a new 365 photo blog in the works. I just love looking at his images and his perspective on the world. Now to just get him to use two hands. Canon 7D, 1/1000 sec @ f/6.3, ISO 200.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

- Don't put all your eggs in one basket, also known as the basket and egg theory, is a idiomatic phrase meaning that one should not focus all one's resources on one hope, possibility, or avenue of success. (Wikipedia) Robert embraced this theory when he promptly emptied his basket of plastic eggs on me. Canon 7D, 1/640 sec @ f/6.2, ISO 200, 17mm focal length.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

"In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" is a psychedelic rock epic by Iron Butterfly, released in 1968. The 17 minute song occupies the entire second side of the In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida album. The photo is of colored refection cast by a butterfly balloon against the ceiling. Thanks to Susan and Duane for the balloon in honor of Cindy's birthday and the idea for this blog post. Canon 40D, 1/50 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 400, 30mm prime lens.

Friday, April 2, 2010

- Guarding the main entrance at Biltmore House near Ashville North Carolina are two massive carved stone lions that survey visitors with magnificently serene countenances. Carved of Rosso di Verona marble that is from near San Ambrogio Valpolicello in Italy, these lions are believed to date to the late nineteenth century and were not put in place until late 1899 or early 1900. Canon G10, 1/1000 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 80, converted to black and white.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

- This is the real "cutting edge". A 5X super macro photo of the edge of a carving knife. I was inspired to break out the 65 mm MPE macro lens after viewing the awesome macro work of Cait Wade. I kind of cheated using a dedicated macro lens as compared to her DIY "semi-ghetto" technique using stacked and reversed standard lenses. Canon 7D, 1/10 sec @ f/4.5, ISO 400.